4 Signs It’s Time to Paint Your Home

by | May 27, 2021 | Blog

Once every few years, your home is ready for a paint refresh. There are several factors that contribute to how often you will need to paint the exterior of your home.  Those factors include what material is used on the outside of your home, the weather extremes where you live, and how well your house was painted the last time, you may have to repaint the exterior of your home. Considering these factors, you may need to paint approximately once every 5 years.  We all know that Connecticut can be home to extreme weather on both ends of the spectrum. Rain and sun usually impact the north and east facing sides of the house first. Wear and tear is usually a little more progressive because of this. Foot (and hand) traffic, as well as the type of paint used, are contributing factors as well. For example, the stain on wooden stairs will wear faster than other areas of the house because there is typically more traffic on the stair. Window frames and interior doors may also be victimized by heavy usage, especially if you have kids. How do you know when it’s time to paint your house again?

How Do You Know Its Time to Paint Your Home?

  1. When do you have to paint: The signals?
    After a while your home’s paint is ready for a refresh, but how do you know when this is? Exterior home painting lasts 5 years on average but this average can be impacted by weather extremes and material used in the house, as well as how well the last paint job was done. For indoor home painting the average is 7 years but if your house is a very active house then it may be much shorter for some rooms. Here are some of the signs that indicate your home’s paint needs a refresh:
  • Cracks and/or blisters are created in the painting
  • Paint looks discolored or worn out
  • Paint is chipped or stained
  1. Test Your Home Paint
    In addition to the signs that indicate when you have to paint, there are also tests that you can perform. These tests will help you confirm it’s time to call your call your home painter.
  • Test 1: Adhesion test

You perform the bonding test by gluing a piece of tape onto your painting and then pulling it loose. When the paint sticks to the tape, this is an indication that you have to refresh your home’s paint.

  • Test 2: Powder test

In the powder test, you wipe over your painting with a damp cloth. If there is paint powder on your cloth, it’s time to call your home painter.

  1. When do you paint inside?
    An interior painter is available all year round to update your home’s paint. It is especially important that the room is well ventilated and that the temperature is constant. Then the paint dries quickly and evenly. There are several situations when the indoor paint is not possible:
  • When the outside temperature is above 85 degrees Fahrenheit

Painting indoors in warm weather above this temperature influences the result. Unless the interior is temperature controlled it’s best to delay interior painting until the temperature cools a little, especially if the humidity is high.  This is because blisters can form on the paintwork causing your paint to not look it’s best. 

  • When the woodwork is damp

Whether or not wood rot is present, you cannot paint damp woodwork. If you do, the paint layer will quickly peel through the moisture in the wood. It is therefore important that woodwork dries well before the painter starts working on it

  1. When do you paint outside?
    When do you paint the exterior of your house? The best time to do this is between April and October. During this time the temperature is between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the best temperature for painting. The humidity and brightness of the sun influence the drying time of your painting. When is it not possible to paint outside?
  • When the wood is damp

Just like painting the inside of your home, it is important that you only have wood painted when it is dry. Moist wood ensures that your painting quickly peels. If wood rot is already present in the wood, the painter must first treat it.

  • When the temperature is above 85 degrees Fahrenheit

When you start painting at a temperature of 85 degrees, it is possible that there will be blisters in the paint. Of course, this is not great looking finish that you want on the exterior of your home so it’s best to avoid temperatures above 85 degrees.

  • When the temperature drops into the 40s and lower.

The colder it gets the harder it is to paint and the longer it takes to dry.  It’s also not very comfortable painting in cold weather.

Tips for maintaining beautiful paintwork
When you have your house painted, you want the painting to remain beautiful for as long as possible. How do you ensure that your painting remains in a good condition for as long as possible? Here are some tips to keep your home paint job looking it’s best once completed.

  • Check your painting twice a year

By checking your painting in the spring and autumn for any damage and repairing it, you prevent your painting from decaying further. Pay particular attention to transitions between horizontal and vertical paintwork and undersides of the woodwork.

  • Update work regularly

In addition to checking, it is also important that you regularly update your painting. By doing this regularly, you prevent larger painting projects. For example, repair wood rot in your window frames and work on seams.

  • Avoid sharp corners

There is only a thin layer of paint on sharp corners, making these areas extra vulnerable to damage. By sanding sharp corners around, you reduce the chance that damage will occur.

 

When will you paint your house?
If you believe it’s time or you’ve used one of our tests above and have determined it’s time then why not get a free, no obligation quote today.  Let our 35 plus years of experience speak for itself.